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Sharon Stone -

Sharon Stone revealed that in the process of fighting for HIV/AIDS research, she was forced to sacrifice her career. The actress spoke on December 2 at Saudi Arabia's Red Sea Film Festival about taking over for late friend and then-amfAR chairwoman Elizabeth Taylor at the organization's annual fundraising gala in 1995, reports People. "I had pretty big shoes to fill with Elizabeth Taylor at amfAR," Stone said, adding that her publicist at the time told her: "If you do this, it will destroy your career." Stone recalled, "At the time you weren't allowed to talk about AIDS. She got hives on her neck. I said, 'I know, but I am going to do it, you're gonna kill me.' She replied, 'And if you don't, I am gonna kill you.'"

Stone said she "had no idea of the resistance, cruelty, hate and oppression that we would face" after she took over for Taylor. "I stayed for 25 years until we had AIDS remedies being advertised on TV like we have aspirin. It did destroy my career. I didn't work for eight years. I was told if I said condom again, funding would be removed. I was threatened repeatedly, my life was threatened, and I decided I had to stick with it," added Stone, who reiterated that she has no regrets after seeing how far research has come. 

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Rainn Wilson -

On November 9, Rainn Wilson took to Twitter to announce that he had changed his name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Weather Wilson. Whether he has done this officially or not is unclear, but he informed viewers that he had changed it "on Twitter, Instagram, and even on my fancy writing paper.” He jokingly described the move as "a cheap little stunt to help save planet Earth." Wilson went on to explain that he was promoting a campaign to raise awareness of the climate crisis, particularly as it affects the Arctic regions. He called on everyone to go to ArcticRiskName.org and submit their version of a climate change name, while also offering some suggestions to his fellow celebs. Some of the best included 'Cardi The Arctic B Melting' and 'Amy Poehler Bears Are Endangered.' Wilson is on the board of a scientific organization called Arctic Basecamp which aims to combat climate change. 

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Jodie Sweetin -

'Full House' star Jodie Sweetin was shoved by a Los Angeles Police Department officer June 25 while protesting the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which ended federal protections of abortion rights. In a video of the incident, which Sweetin's rep confirmed was her, an officer grabs and pushes her before she falls to the ground. A group of fellow protestors helps her up while others admonish the line of police officers. The incident reportedly occurred along a freeway exit that protestors were blocking. “I’m extremely proud of the hundreds of people who showed up yesterday to exercise their First Amendment rights and take immediate action to peacefully protest the giant injustices that have been delivered from our Supreme Court,” Sweetin said in a statement following the incident. “Our activism will continue until our voices are heard and action is taken. This will not deter us, we will continue fighting for our rights. We are not free until ALL of us are free.”

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Angelina Jolie -

Angelina Jolie made a passionate speech about domestic violence to the Senate in Washington D.C. The Oscar-winning actress was speaking in favor of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, which aims "to prevent and respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking." She was accompanied by her daughter Zahara, who she said calmed her nerves before her address. 

Jolie delivered a powerful speech about the victims of abuse who have been failed by the system, making specific reference to "Parents whose children have been murdered by an abusive partner, women who suffer domestic violence yet are not believed, children who have suffered life-altering trauma and post-traumatic stress at the hands of people closest to them." She teared up and took a moment to compose herself before saying, "Most of all, I want to acknowledge the children who are terrified and suffering at this moment. And the many people for whom this legislation comes too late."

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Amy Schumer and Jennifer Lawrence -

Amy Schumer, who had her uterus removed to treat a reproductive disease, attended one of the many Women's Marches in October 2021 to protest in favor of women's reproductive rights. There, she was joined by her friend Jennifer Lawrence, who is pregnant with her first child. The demonstrations came a month after a new Texas law banning abortions after six weeks of pregnancy—the most restrictive abortion law in the US—went into effect. "I don't have a uterus and she is pregnant but we out here @womensmarch @plannedparenthood #rallyforabortionjustice," Schumer captioned an Instagram photo of the pair. She held up a sign that read "Abortion is essential," while Lawrence's  poster read, "Women can't be free if they can't control their bodies."

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Rihanna -

The singer and entrepreneur joined the fight against anti-Asian hate crimes, which has seen a dramatic rise endangering AAPI communities in the US these past few years. Rihanna took to the streets for the #StopAsianHate march in New York City, along with her assistant Tina Truong, and many people marching alongside her didn't even recognize her as she went incognito in a dark outfit with long braids, a hat, and a black face mask. Of course, she has used her star power to elevate issues in the past, like Black Lives Matter or the farmers' protest in India, but she is no stranger to the work being done on the ground. 

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Jason Momoa - The 'Aquaman' actor was born in Hawaii, and returned to his home island to join protests against the construction of a new giant telescope. He assisted in assist in blocking the path for developers, declaring "We are not going anywhere."

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Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson - One of Hollywood's highest-paid actors also joined the cause, saying "I stand with you" to activists. The actor has a Samoan background, but went to Hawaii for his high school years, and helped repair damages after the 2018 Hawaii floods.

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Nicki Minaj - The rapper canceled her performance at the Jeddah World Fest in Saudi Arabia, passing on a huge paycheck because her values do not align with the country's.

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Nicki Minaj - In response to the Human Rights Foundation's call for performers to pull out of the show, Minaj said: "While I want nothing more than to bring my show to fans in Saudi Arabia, after better educating myself on the issues, I believe it is important for me to make clear my support for the rights of women, the LGBTQ community and freedom of expression.”

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Jaden Smith - Unlike most young celebrities, this Smith celebrated his 21st birthday by giving back. He hosted a pop-up food truck that provided free vegan meals to the downtown LA homeless for the day.

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Pharrell Williams -

During his commencement speech at Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy, the musician surprised the 2019 graduating students with a guaranteed internship after their first year of college.

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Pharrell Williams - Williams has worked with various organizations to create more opportunities for students in the past, including partnering with the Verizon Foundation earlier this year to increase technology access in underserved schools. He’s also spoken at the UN and founded the From One Hand to AnOTHER foundation in 2008.

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Jay-Z -

Soon after a video surfaced of Phoenix police officers violently threatening a black family’s life for a toy stolen by a small child, the rapper announced that he and his team at Roc Nation would cover their legal support in a US$10 million lawsuit filed against the city and its police department, according to The Blast, also calling for the termination of the police officers involved.

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Jay-Z - He also helped launch the Reform Alliance, an initiative dedicated to changing the laws that rule the lives of an estimated 4.5 million Americans on parole or probation. The Avenger-like initiative is in partnership with the likes of rapper Meek Mill, co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers Michael Rubin, Robert Kraft, Clara Wu Tsai, and Van Jones.

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Kim Kardashian - This Kardashian is not only concerned with getting people out of prison, but also with their reintegration into society. That's why she announced her partnership with rideshare company Lyft to give almost 5,000 former inmates free rides to job interviews.

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Kim Kardashian - She has been working closely with #Cut50 on both federal and local levels to ensure inmates will be provided housing and employment opportunities long after being released, and she's showing no signs of slowing her activism.

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Prince Harry - The British prince visited orphans in Lesotho, where he has a charity organization that helps South African children in need.

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Prince William - The Prince of Wales helped the army during floods at a gas station in Dachet, southern England.

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Shakira - The singer visited students at Loma del Peye in Barranquilla, Colombia. The school building was funded by Shakira's Barefoot Foundation.

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Angelina Jolie -

Angelina Jolie was appointed a Special Envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 

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George Clooney - The actor was welcomed by senator John Kerry during a trip to South Sudan in Africa. The country's civil conflicts left more than two million children without a home.

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Madonna - The Queen of Pop gives students necklaces during a ceremony at the Raising Malawi Academy For Girls, an institution she founded in the capital Lilongwe.

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Ben Affleck - The actor is seen having fun with members of the African Children's Choir during a ONE x ONE event. The organization raises funds to help children living in poverty all around the world.

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David Beckham - The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and former soccer player visited a clinic in Cape Town, South Africa, where children and other people with HIV live.

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Elton John - The singer visited a hospital for HIV-positive children in the city of Makeyevka, Ukraine. He also founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

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Emma Watson - The actress, who is also a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, is famous for her He For She campaign. She's pictured giving a speech about women's political participation to a female crowd at the Montevideo Parliament, in Uruguay.

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Paris Hilton - The socialite visited a shelter for people who were affected by the earthquake in the city of Xochimilco, near Mexico City.

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Sean Penn - The actor and director, who is also founder of the J/P Haitian Relief Organization, welcomed former Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon after the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

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Leonardo DiCaprio - The actor has long been an environmental activist. He was also appointed a UN Messenger of Peace and has founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

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Valerie Trierweiler - France's former First Lady sang 'Happy Birthday' to an Indian child during a humanitarian mission to fight hunger in Mumbai, India.

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Orlando Bloom - The actor is also a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador. He visited a refugee camp in Gevgelija, Macedonia (on the border with Greece).

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Jodie Kidd, Naomi Campbell, Yasmin Le Bon and Elle Macpherson - The supermodels reunited for the Fashion For Relief event, a charity fashion show that gathered funds to help communities affected by the floods in London.

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Brad Pitt - The actor visited a shelter for families affected by Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana. Pitt promised to build 150 homes for the victims of the catastrophe.

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Oprah Winfrey - The TV host founded a school in Johannesburg, South Africa. At the first graduation ceremony she handed out the diplomas at the Leadership Academy for Girls.

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Bill Clinton - The former President of the US welcomed artists Alicia Keys, Bono, and Shakira in New York to discuss ideas for his institution, the Clinton Global Initiative.

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Matt Damon - The actor, who is a usual campaigner for UNICEF, joined Haitian singer Wyclef Jean as he prepared food during a food donating event in the city of Cabaret, Haiti.

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Bono - U2's lead singer, who's been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times, visited a cotton planting community in Mali.

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Brigitte Bardot -

The French actress and animal activist spoke out about seal hunting in Ottawa, Canada.

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Susan Sarandon - The actress is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. She visited orphans with AIDS and several UNICEF-supported centers in Tanzania, Africa.

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Mia Farrow - Mia Farrow, a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, visited a shelter for victims of storms and hurricanes that affected the city of Gonaïves, Haiti.

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Bob Geldof -

The musician, who organized the biggest charity rock concert in the world (Live Aid) to help end hunger in Africa, visited orphans at a village near Addis Abeba, Ethiopia.

See also: The most generous and charitable celebrities

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